Qatar to use foreign police officers during 2022 World Cup

BINTANGNEWS.com –Police
officers from different countries will be on Qatar's streets during the 2022
World Cup in an effort to prevent hooliganism, a senior

security officer for
the tournament has said.

Major Ali Mohammed Al-Ali, deputy
executive director for security with the Supreme Committee for Delivery &
Legacy, the body overseeing the tournament, also predicted that Qatar would
deliver "the safest World Cup in the world".

Fears about hooliganism at major
tournaments have increased following trouble between English and Russian fans
at the 2016 Euros in France.

This has led to concerns that such
scenes will be repeated at future tournaments.

But Ali said he was hopeful that would
not be the case in 2022.

"We are working with a lot of
national, regional and international organizations, countries, agencies,"
he said.

"We are the only country in the
world who have 10 years to prepare for the World Cup."

Asked if international police officers
with experience of dealing with crowd trouble would be in Qatar to help with
any potential problems, he told AFP: "For sure."

Officers
will be drawn from those countries "that qualify" for 2022, added
Ali.

Some 1.3 million fans are expected to
visit Qatar -- the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East -- equivalent
to half the country's population.

It will also be the most compact in
the modern era with the majority of fans likely to stay in just one city, Doha,
which could also present security problems.

Qatar has previously said it will
restrict the sale of alcohol during the World Cup and convene special courts
for fans arrested during the tournament.

The security situation in the region
added to current diplomatic tensions in the Gulf, which has seen Qatar
politically isolated by neighboring countries for the past five months, has
also raised fears.

However, Ali, speaking ahead of a
"Major Events Security Conference" in Doha this week, said organisers
were ready to provide a benchmark tournament.

"We have prepared for everything
and we are ready and it will be the most safe and secure World Cup," he said.***